I kind of forgot about step two… (also: my top places I’m considering after my degree)

22 September 2015

So one of the problems with doing a post-bacc degree is that you just really don’t have the time to leisurely figure things out. I’ve got about two more semesters before I should finish up. If I’m interested in grad school — which I am — then I’ve got to start getting serious about working on some direction. Especially since a lot of programs have deadlines in the spring, aka a few months away. And there’s that whole little matter of the GRE.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to just launch into this new career straight from here, but well, I know that grad school is something that both I and my potential future employers would value. Plus, I love school.

I always knew I’d like to at least do an internship or some sort of study abroad. Then I found some information regarding doing the whole degree abroad. That was an interesting thought. The cultural experience alone would be worth it, and some of these places have either less expensive tuition, or it’s free. And that’s even for international students. So after class I asked one of my professors about it. He didn’t have much information for me, but did say that if I was interested in working abroad, studying abroad would be a very good step towards that.

I had one of those “oh” moments. Where do I want to work? Where do I want to live? Where do I see my future? Oh man. Wasn’t I supposed to have these things figured out beforehand? Ok. Well. No. I didn’t quite have these answers, which is why I am going back to school: I have a general hazy idea of what I’d like to do, but beyond that it’s all pretty murky.

So, as a refresher, the original nugget of an idea was museums, something that blended education and exhibits. I love the sense of wonder and curiosity that museums can breed and want to be a part of that. (And I wanted to be surrounded by it for the rest of my life.) That’s still the general idea. Now that I have a better familiarity with my new field, things such as cultural heritage and ethnohistory intrigue me. Those combined with museum studies and a strong background of material culture (via this archaeology post-bacc), I feel like I’d have a pretty solid skill set to move forward with.

But there’s still that question of where…

Here are my top places, with no consideration to order:

Chicago
I mean, where else were you expecting? I would love to return to my beloved city of Chicago. There are just a ton of museums there, and really quality ones. In particular, the Field Museum. It’s the institution that really inspired this journey. I can easily spend hours there, and would love to get paid to do so. Chicago is familiar, close enough to family, and the home to some people who are dear to me. The professor that I mentioned above has some sort of project he’s working on either through or in the Field Museum, so we’re going to discuss possible opportunities.

Indianapolis
Or more specifically, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. It’s one of two institutions that would keep me in the Hoosier Heartland. The other being the Eiteljorg. I haven’t been to the Children’s Museum since I was a wee kid. Any memory I have of it is irrelevant given just how much they’ve changed — and for so much the better. I mean, it’s seriously one of the best children’s museums in the nation. And Indy’s not terrible. There’s some really interesting neighborhoods, so I could probably find something for me. Plus, for now, my friend Leah’s there — and it’s even closer to family. While Indiana isn’t my first choice, it would be a big honor to work at either of these places.

Montana
Another in the “no surprises here” file… I have never been to Montana, but I am in love with Montana. Mountains. Nature. Vast beauty. If you’ll remember, I was originally planning on moving to Bozeman, but financially it wasn’t a viable option. It’s still on my bucket list. It is far away from my family, and well, I am not a fan of driving in the winter. But there’s just something about Montana that just calls to me.

Montreal
I have very fond memories of my last visit to Montreal. (Ok, minus when I walked 3+ hours resulting in an endo flair up. Or when I had mussel broth accidentally poured into my lap.*) The Atwater Market. The food. The art. The views. I loved my time there. The only big negative is that I can’t speak French/Quebecois.
*I actually wasn’t sour about that one. Just… soupy.

Washington D.C.
I’ve been really fortunate that we’ve done a number of tours through DC. I’ve yet to really learn the neighborhoods, but we’ve stayed mostly within an easy walk to the National Mall, or once out by the zoo. It’s something interesting being in big city that isn’t tall. Everything in Chicago goes up. Not the case in DC. Also, there’s just a lot of trees. I loved my early morning walks in this city. Now, the reality of the costs and traffic and all that might change everything. But, yeah, I always enjoyed it there. Also, hello Smithsonian.

United Kingdom
Ok. So that’s a picture of Glasgow. It’s one of many UK cities on my list. But really, if I could find a school in the UK with manageable tuition, then, yes, I’d go almost anywhere. There’s so much historical charm spread out over these countries. Also, there’s the bonus of not having to learn an entire new language. I mean, this is putting a big damn ocean between me and my family… But, I kind of like this idea of raising my own family outside of the US. Plus, it’d make traveling through Europe a lot easier…

Outside of Chicago, and maybe Indy, all of these are just places I think I might like living — no real thoughts about career or school. Nothing solid. I’ve got a few months (or at least maybe until sometime next semester) to work something out, though, right? Whew boy.

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